It feels like forever since I’ve written here. I’ve loved hearing everyone else’s stories and seasons and have learned so much from them this summer! But I’m also glad to be back.
This August was a full one to say the least. I started teaching PreK at Trinity Classical School, which I’m loving. It’s also exhausting. But I’m getting into the swing of it. I’m learning. They’re learning. I’m doing a lot of sleeping. (They may also be doing a lot of sleeping but it certainly isn’t during rest time.) I’m learning to be very specific in my questions and my directions. They’re learning to find loopholes. It’s all a beautiful dance. And we’re gonna make it! Truly, I’m grateful to be teaching. I’m enjoying getting to know them, and we are figuring the PreK thing out together.
Here’s my classroom with the little tiny chairs.
And here’s my first day of school pic 🙂
We’ve also had some very literal rain delays. After two days of class, we had a two week break due to a little thing the locals are just calling “Harvey.” It poured in Southeastern Texas for five days. POURED. And Houston flooded. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I was here and my house was dry, but my roommate Lindsee and I were pretty much stuck inside (like everyone else) for five days and even after that, getting around town was complicated. Our other roommate Bethany (who got engaged earlier in the month!!!!!) was stuck outside of Houston in Nashville. She finally made it back about a week later than expected.
We live in a part of Houston that wasn’t hugely affected, but seeing this city pull together and begin to clean itself up has been nothing short of humbling and miraculous. The church has risen up at a time when the people of the city needed it most. And it’s made me certain of one thing: the Spirit of God is still moving among His people, and the Spirit of God cares greatly about the world.
Here’s the end of our street as we scoped it out during one of our “exploratory missions.” Thankfully we live up the hill.
And here’s a look toward downtown. That’s Buffalo Bayou up out of its banks and covering two major roads. We live near a bayou. Houston is a marsh. We’re used to flooding. This was bizarre.
Here is Clancy mirroring all the emotions of all the Houstonians.
This is devastation. But our city has not lost its hope.
Photo Cred: Lindsee (the photojournalist of all of our flood experiences)
After a few weeks of very, very abnormal, we’re all settling back into a more regular routine. I started teaching A Place in His Presence at Bayou City Fellowship this Tuesday, and it was the sweetest time! It’s a beautiful group of women from varying ages and stages of life, which is exactly what I’ve been asking God for–a multigenerational group where we can learn from and enjoy one another! I’m so grateful and excited. I’ll start posting the online teachings next Tuesday (September 26).
I can take no credit for the beauty of this book. Darcee did all of the artwork and another talented artist formatted it all. It’s exactly what I pictured but never could have created.
It’s been a very full month, and I’m trying (and starting) to find the new rhythm to my weeks. Which brings me to my next point…
I had every intention of finishing up the three fall feasts on time this fall. BUT…today is Rosh Hoshanna and I’ve got nothing. I still want to finish. I still think they’re hugely important, and I’m still very much planning on completing them. But I have a new plan. Rather than rush and do them half-heartedly this fall, I’m going to wait until things settle down a bit. Bible study ends before Thanksgiving, so I’ll spend the end of November into December finishing up the final three feasts. So we’ll go into 2018 prepared and ready to celebrate all seven of the feasts as they approach.
Sometimes we have to set aside our original plan in favor of reality. This is one of those times. The reality is I cannot do all that I was supposed to do, and the feasts are something I care deeply about and don’t want to race through. So there you have it–the white flag. But it’s not giving up. It’s just a delay!
If you are at all interested in joining for Bible study either in person or online, I’d love for you to be a part. You can find all the information that you’d need here: https://www.codyandras.com/biblestudies/.
A Place in His Presence is a study that is near to my heart. We’ll be studying the overarching story of Scripture–the story of all that God has done to draw His people back to Himself. My hope is that everything we’ll learn will cause us to know and love Christ more. I’d love to have you be a part if you’re looking for a study this fall.
I’m looking forward to this fall. I’m grateful that you’re here. Thank you for walking through life alongside me (whether in real life or just right here). Thank you for opening God’s Word with me. Thank you for encouraging me to seek and find and enjoy our God!
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